Well, I think it's been about a month since I last posted here. Sorry to everyone who look forward to my intermittent ramblings!

I will be speaking at a Prison Fellowship concert this coming Friday, sharing a bit about my past and how important Prison Fellowship is in the lives of those on the inside. I will also be sharing a song I wrote called "Circumstances". The premise of the song is about serving God despite the circumstances that surround us. And it is also about a special set of circumstances that surround men and women in prison and after their release... a stigma that all felons deal with.

Most people doubt the possibility that offenders can change. The reality is that 70-80% of prisoners end up returning to prison, either by violating the rules of their release or for committing new crimes. And sadly, this cycle often repeats itself over and over in their lives. And so, offenders are often viewed with suspicion. It's hard to get a job, to get housing, to get credit... Most people aren't willing to take the risk. There is even doubt among the prisoners inside, a culture that says "You can't change. You'll be back".

And this culture is especially evident when it comes to prisoners who look to Jesus to help them change. Prisoners, as well as those who work in the criminal justice system, are very aware of a condition known as "jailhouse religion". This is where offenders, for whatever reason, claim religion as proof that they have changed, when in reality they haven't changed at all. Judges and parolle officers are very aware of this tactic. And many now give no credence whatsoever to religious claims unless they are backed up by a significant history of positive behaviour.

And as a prisoner, and as an ex-prisoner, I had to continually deal with people doubting my faith, doubting that I was a new creature, doubting the work that Jesus had done in my life. Non-Christians doubted whether there even WAS a God who could change me. And even Christians sometimes doubted whether I was telling the truth, or just using religion as a scam to earn their trust. So I wrote this song:

From the valley, the summit seems so farAnd clouds of sin block the viewAnd those around me deny that it existsThey just say that I'm a foolTo try and climb away

I've fallen further than I ever thought I wouldBut now I know what I must doServe my God like I never thought I couldBut they still say that I'm a foolTo think I could ever change

Let them say what they willI know the change inside is realAnd today is my chanceTo rise above my circumstancesThey won't define who I amOr how I feel

Prison Fellowship Aftercare is a hugely important ministry. They believe that Jesus CAN change the lives of prisoners, and they take risks. They trust them. They believe in them. Often when no one else will. I thank God for Prison Fellowship and the positive role they have played in my life. If you live in Portland, be sure to come to the Prison Fellowship event happening at Sunset Presbyterian Church on Friday evening, June 3. The doors open at 6pm.

Ken BussellMinister of Music & AdministrationOur Place Christian Church